Car-coupling



0. JENNINGS.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 431,145. v Patented July 1, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT (IFFICE.

GIVEN JENNINGS, OF HOMER, LOUISIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,145, dated July 1,1890.

Serial No. 345,814:- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OWEN JENNINGS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Homer, in the parish of Claiborne andState of Louisiana,have invent-ed a new and useful Car- Coupling, of which the following isa specification.

I This invention relates to earcouplings, more especially of that classknown as hook and catch.

The object of the invention is to provide a pivoted hook and a catchmounted on the operating-bar thereof, and hence also pivoted, by meansof which both hooks of the coupled cars can be disengaged simultaneouslyfrom either side or from the top of either car. This object I accomplishby my improved carcoupling, which consists, essentially, of a horizontalrock-shaft journaled in the draw-head below the hole therein, a hook anda catch secured thereto, a removable pin for preventing these parts fromfalling too low, and operating devices leading to each side and to thetop of the car, and adjunctive and specific details of constructionincident to this arrangement of parts, as well as of certain auxiliarieswhich tend to enhance the value of the complete device, all ashereinafter more fully described, and as are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a longitudinal section oftwo of my improved carcouplings connected, the dotted lines showing themanner in which the uncoupling is effected. Fig. 2 is a front elevationof one of the draw-heads in a position to engage the link of an ordinarycar-coupling. Fig. 3is a perspective view of one of the draw-heads withthe parts in their normal position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

A designates a draw-head, and B G the ordinary pin and link therein.

D is a shaft journaled horizontally through similar but slightly-broadernotch, stands a catch G, which is also secured to the shaft D, and whosefront end is rounded, as shown in Fig. 3, to conform with the generaloutline of the forward end of the draw-head when the parts are in theirnormal position. The rear end of the catch G extends slightly beyond theshaft D, and in rear thereof a depression H is made in the bottom of thedraw-head. The ordinary pin 13 passes vertically through holes in thedraw-head and stands between the catch 011 one side and the hook at theother side thereof. WVhen two draw-heads of this character are broughttogether, each of the hooks F rides over the opposite catch G and fallsinto the depression H in rear thereof, as shownin Fig. 1. To uncouplethe device one of the cranks E is operated in the proper direction,whereby both its hook and its catch will be raised. The former will bedisengaged from the opposite catch, and the latter will raise the bodyof the opposite hook, so that the head thereof will disengage the rearend of the catch; I

I preferably provide the draw-head near its front end in its lower sidewith a transverse hole, and through this hole passes a pin I. The lowerside of the hook and of the catch are cut away to engage over this pin,and the latter therefore retains these parts in their normal position,Fig. 3, when in place, but permits them to rise as necessity requires.The pin I may be withdrawn, and the parts will then fall to the positionshown in Fig. 2, the object being that the hook shall not project fromthe end of the draw-h ead andstrike the draw-head,platform, or body ofthe opposite car, which would prevent the latter connecting with anordinary pin and link. Hooks have heretofore been elevated for thispurpose, but it was found that such couplings could not always be usedsuccessfully, because the hooks, when so elevated, struck the platformor body of the car; hence I have provided means for dropping the hooksherein.

In order that this improved car-coupling may be operated from theplatform of a passenger or the top of a freight car, I provide the rodJ, which is pivotally connected to the hook F in rear of its point ofsupport, which rod passes through a slot K in the top of the draw-headand extends upwardly through a guide or eye L, carried by the platform,or top of the car, as the case may be. The upper end of this rod isprovided with a footpiece M, and when a downward pressure is given thisfoot-piece the forward ends of the hook and of the catch will be thrownupwardly, the same as if they were operated by one of the cranks E. Tosupport the weight of the rod J, I provide a spring N, preferably of theform shown-cl e., coiled upon the body of the rod between the eye L andthe footpiece M. This spring draws the rod up wardly, and if it bestrong enough to have any effect on the hook it throws the free end ofthelatter downwardly by turning it around its support, which motion isdesirable. As the hook is subjected to many knocks and bruises and isliable to be Worn by rough usage, it may occur in time that its free endor head will not drop sufiiciently low in the companion draw-head toengage the catch of the latter; or it may occur that the drawheads of acertain car are found, when that car is put upon the track, to stand atrifle above the draw-heads of the balance of the rolling-stock, orperhaps a little below them. In order, therefore, to adjust the positionof the head of the hook with a great degree of nicety, I seat a screw 0in the bottom of the notch in the hook that engages the transverseremovable pin 1. The head of this screw strikes upon said pin when thehook is lowered, whereas the catch G falls completely into engagementwith the pin I. To adjust the angle of the hook upon its supporting rodor shaft D, the set-screw P, by which it is keyed thereto, is loosenedand the adjustingscrew 0 is turned in or out to render the notch in thehook deeper or shallower, as may be desired, after which the set-screw Pis again tightened in a manner which will be readily understood. Thenotch in the under side of the catch may be also provided with one ofthese adjusting-screws, if preferred, although I have not illustrated itbecause I do not deem it necessary or desirable.

l/Vhat I claim is 1. In a car-coupling, a hook at one side and a longcatch at the other side of the drawhead, both parts being mounted neartheir rear ends upon and operated by the same shaft journaled throughthe bottom of the draw-head, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head, a horizontalshaft journaled through the bottom thereof, a hook and a catch securedto said shaft at opposite sides of the opening in the draw-head, andmeans for operating said shaft, of a removable pin standing beneath said'hook and catch in front of said shaft, and an ordinary pin-andlinkcoupling device, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with an oscillating shaft, a hookthereon, and a set-screw for holding the hook in position, of asupporting-pin forward of said shaft, and an adjusting-screw in saidhook, its head bearing upon said pin, as and for the purpose set forth.-

4. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head having a holein its body provided with a notch at each side thereof through thebottom, and a depression in rear of one of said notches, of a shaftjournaled transversely through the bottom and through said notches,means for oscillating this shaft, a hook secured thereon within onenotch and a catch within the other, the catch in rear of said shafthaving a square rear face standing in front of said depression,the wholeoperating as set forth.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head, a shaft journaled transversely through the bottom of the same, and crankarms atthe extremities of said shaft, of a hook and a catch mounted upon saidshaft, their bodies standing normally forward thereof in notches throughthe bottom of the drawhead, and the front face of the catch. beingrounded and its rear end squared, all as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a shaft journaledin thedraw-head, a hook mounted on said shaft, and a removable pin forward ofthe shaft upon which the hook rests, of a rod pivoted to the hook inrear of the shaft and passing upwardly through a slot in the draw-head,a foot-piece at the upper end of said rod, an eye carried by the car andembracing said rod, and a coiled spring between said foot-piece and eye,substantially as described.

7. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a hook pivoted on atransverse shaft in the draw-head, and means, substantially asdescribed, for supporting the front end of said hook, of a rod connectedto the hook in rear of its pivot and leading thence upwardly, a guidefor said rod, a spring for supporting it, and a foot-piece at the upperend thereof, as set'forth.

S. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head having anordinary pin-andlink coupling device, of a hook pivoted in the bottom ofsaid draw-headand normally projecting beyond the mouth thereof, andmeans, substantially as described, for operating said hook and fordropping it to a pendent position, as and for the purpose set forth.

' In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have heretoaflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OWEN JENNINGS.

Witnesses:

J. H. SIMMONS, ToM HARRIS.

